Chicken Enchiladas

Last week I tried to make something quick and easy but I got in way over my head. This week I made sure to choose something simple (and delicious, of course). This recipe uses more canned goods than I would usually use but everyone is allowed to take a short cut now and then, right? I sure think so.

Anyway, these enchiladas are warm, gooey, spicy and filled with grilled chicken and a creamy, cheesy sauce. I topped the casserole with some diced tomato and sliced green onions but they are completely optional. Originally, I threw them on there to add some color but they ended up offering a nice freshness to balance out the creamy filling.

Instructions

Preheat your countertop grill (George Foreman type). Season both sides of the chicken breast by sprinkling them lightly with garlic powder, cayenne, cumin, salt and pepper (about 1/2 tsp of each total). Grill the chicken breast until cooked through and golden brown (about 7 minutes each).

Let the chicken breasts cool slightly so the juices redistribute inside the meat. While the meat is cooling, combine the sour cream, 1 cup of cheese and green chiles in a bowl. Dice the chicken meat and stir it into the sour cream mixture.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray the inside of a large casserole dish with non-stick spray. Place one spoonful (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup) down the center of a small tortilla and roll it closed. Place it in the casserole dish seam side down. Repeat until all of the filling is used up (about ten tortillas).

Pour the enchilada sauce over the top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. After baking for 30 minutes, sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over top and set the oven to broil. Broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with tomatoes and green onions if desired!

Step By Step Photos

I buy my chicken breasts in large 5 lb. packs (about 10 breasts) to get the best price. When I get home, I repackage the chicken into bags of two then freeze them. So, when I want to make a dish like this, I pull one out and thaw it under cool running water for about 30 minutes.

Season the thawed chicken breasts with garlic powder, cayenne, cumin, salt and pepper on both sides.

Grill the chicken for about 7 minutes each or until brown, crispy and cooked all the way through.

Let the chicken cool slightly after cooking then cut into small chunks. Combine the chicken, sour cream, green chiles and one cup of the cheese in a bowl.

Take a tortilla in one hand and place about 1/4 cup of filling down the center. Roll the tortilla closed and place it in a casserole dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.(seam side down).

Pour the enchilada sauce over top of the rolled enchiladas. I bought a large 28 oz. can but it was waaaay more than I needed. I poured the other half into a freezer bag, labeled it and froze it for later use (enchilada sauce is too tasty to waste).

Place the sauced up enchiladas in a 350 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and broil for 5 minutes to melt the cheese. I actually think the casserole is prettier like this without the tomatoes and green onions but they tasted really good so I’m glad I added them! Maybe next time I’ll just add them to the filling!

NOTE: If you don’t like really creamy sauces, you can skip the sour cream and just mix up the grilled chicken, cheese and green chiles. It will still taste great!

If you’re looking to cut calories, you can skip the sour cream (or just use light, like I did) and/or use reduced fat mozzarella.

If stores in your area don’t carry enchilada sauce (as some unfortunate readers have mentioned), try it with some salsa verde… or red salsa!

55 comments on “Chicken Enchiladas”

Oh. My. Gosh. The Chicken Enchiladas is absolutely DELICIOUS!!! I followed the recipe, but used corn tortillas and cheddar cheese instead. I served the enchiladas with some refried beans on the side. I’m looking forward to having left overs for dinner every night. Thank you so much for this recipe, Beth!!! :-)

I made this last night with some leftover Thanksgiving turkey. I just dumped all the spices in with the turkey-sour cream-cheese-chili mixture. They turned out great. My parents were skeptical, but all the plates were clean at the end. A great changes of pace from the traditional Thanksgiving flavors. Thank you!

I made this for my family of four this past week. Had to improvise with frozen chicken and red enchilada sauce, but it was an absolute hit! Served it with your black beans recipe and it turned out amazing. Thank you!

Delicious filling!!!! When I make enchiladas, I always put the filled and rolled tortillas (I prefer corn tortillas, I spray one side with pam, stack them and microwave until heated through) in the oven for ~20 minutes, and then add the sauce and cook another 10. I find it keeps them from getting soggy!! Just something to try.

I love enchiladas. I have these ones in the oven right now with two variances: I made red enchilada sauce from your recipe and used that because I far prefer homemade and red sauce. I also shredded the chicken instead of diced it. It smells and looks amazing!

Braena – Sadly, I have not figured out an easy green enchilada sauce recipe yet! At least one that uses common grocery store ingredients. I’m sure in areas where there is a large Hispanic population tomatillos and green chiles are easy to come by, but that’s probably not true for most of the country :P I’ll be working on it, though, because I love green enchilada sauce too!

Thank you for your wonderful recipes! As a recent grad working as many crap jobs as I can get, they’re so appreciated! One question though- is there are a green enchilada sauce on this site? I’ve made the red enchilda sauce many times, and it’s delicious! BUt, sadly, I cannot get any sort of decent Mexican food/ingredients where I live, but I’d really love to try this!

Hi! I’m Beth

As a food lover and a number cruncher I've decided that cooking on a budget shouldn't mean canned beans and ramen noodles night after night. Join me for delicious recipes designed for small budgets. More »